Some suggest that it comes from a stylized depiction of existing animals, such as snakes, fish or crocodiles. In all, dragon doesn’t exist at all; it is an imaginary animal.
Suggestions of Loong:
As the image of China in the world is dragon, the westerners, especially the Christians, often misunderstand Chinese characters. They may think China is a barbarous people for the difference in culture. Thus, the promotion of adopting “loong” seems quite necessary in maintaining the Chinese image which is actually a kind and persistent people.
Image of Chinese dragon Nobody really knows where the dragon comes from. The dragon looks like a combination of many animals, is described visually as a composite of parts from nine animals. Historically, the dragon was the symbol of the Emperor of China, for dragons are viewed as being potent and auspicious powers.Chinese emperors think they are the real dragons and the sons of heaven. Thus the beds they sleep on are called the dragon beds, the throne called the dragon seat, and the emperor’s ceremonial.
Eastern Dragon VS Western Dragon Western dragon is considered as the embodiment of Sadan, who is believed as evil, and mostly takes on a form of monster. Dragons from the West are said to breathe fire and are seen as unwanted and something that a hero must work to get rid of. These dragons try to kill people who get near them by breathing out fire. They also have great wings and sharp claws. In contrast, Chinese dragon traditionally symbolizes strength and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall and floods. It is also a symbol of good luck. The Chinese even have a year of the dragon, and it is said that anyone born in this year will be healthy, wealthy, and wise.
Since culture is a crucial element in international communication, the cultural differences between two languages are extremely important for learners to study in order to get to know another country better. Take Chinese dragon and western dragon as example, they have been playing a tremendous part both in Chinese and western history. Throughout the endless development of civilization, Chinese dragon and dragon has played different roles in Chinese and western culture. Those cultural differences caused some misunderstanding in the communication between Chinese and westerners. It may be hard for westerners to understand why Chinese call themselves the offspring of Chinese dragon, and it’s not easy for Chinese to accept that the dragon always plays the role of cruel monster in western movies. In this article, through the comparison of the different origins, cultural symbols and usage, we have found the cultural differences between Chinese dragon and western dragon. Because of those cultural differences, Chinese and westerners have different cognitions of Chinese dragon and western dragon, and there are misunderstandings about Chinese dragon and western dragon. In order to save those misunderstandings, we can use the word “loong” in translation to represent this Chinese mythic creature instead of dragon. Because “loong” not only can distinguish images between Chinese and western culture, but also can rightly circulates the outstanding features of Chinese loong. In addition, we need an extensive dissemination of Chinese dragon culture which can make westerners have a better understanding of Chinese dragon. To sum up, treading the cultural difference properly is beneficial to make Chinese dragon culture accepted internationally.